Heated Competition
by Computerfan
Summary: The 'UTSE' United Towns Sporting Event is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the winner wins a sweet trophy! Four towns compete each year: Honevray, Celedron, Endavcra and Aquatos. But will the heated competition break all bonds the towns have?
1. Prologue

Prologue

_**THE UTSE 2009!**_

_The UTSE (United Town's Sporting Event) is upon us, and this year, the town of Honevray has been chosen to host. The event consists of five events: 100m run, 200m run, 300m run, 500m run and 1000m run. The winner of each race gains three points for their town, while second get two and third one. _

_The UTSE has been around for ten years now, and each spring, one of the four towns, Aquatos, Celedron, Endavcra and Honevray, hosts the event. The competition started in 1999, where Tortimer, mayor of Honevray, took the trophy. In 2000, Portimer of Aquatos won, 2001, Hortimer of Celedron, 2002, Hortimer again. Since then, Mortimer of Endavcra has won. _

_This event has created a friendly rivalry between the four towns, but this year, the winner gets a sweet trophy made of pure gold, and their town will be remembered forever. To sign up, fill in this form:_

_Town Name: Honevray_

_Town Mayor: Tortimer_

_Mayor Signature: ________

_Submitted Team:_

_Josh_

_Pierce_

_Bud_

_Kabuki_

_Bella_

_Avery _

_((Scribbled underneath)) One of them will be a sub._

_Please send this to the town hall of Honevray, addressed to Pelly, when complete._

_Thank you._

Tortimer smiled to himself as he quickly filled in the form, before folding it and placing it in an envelope. He attempted to lick the envelope, before stopping and wetting his tongue, before trying again. He then sealed it and began to write the required address on the front. He had no idea why Ms. Pelly had made him put it in an envelope; he was mayor of Honevray after all.

"Are you finished, Mayor Tortimer?" Ms. Pelly asked, rushing over to the old turtle, attempting to grab the envelope from the mayor's hands.

Tortimer scowled, and pulled back, causing the clerk to quickly let go with worry. Tortimer snapped, "Let me finish the address first, you stupid pelican. I must make sure I do nothing to get disqualified."

"Yes, yes, of course." Pelly hastily responded, flattening her dress in an attempt to impress the turtle, "Sorry, sir, I'm just excited about the UTSE. Do you think this is our year, sir?" She leaned in close on him, watching her boss' hands etch out every letter with care.

Tortimer took a while to respond, but put his pen back on the table and handed the envelope to Pelly, who quickly took it, "Yes, Ms. Pelly. This is our year. This is certainly our year." He turned away, smirking slightly. He would not his team lose, no way.


	2. The Team is Chosen

Thank you for the review, **phasmidfan**. The animals in Honevray, Celedron and Aquatos are based on real towns. They're based on my two WW and CF games.

Chapter 1- The Team is Chosen

"Yo, Pierce!" Bud exclaimed, before throwing a ball skilfully through the air, "Catch!"

Bud and Pierce were stood opposite each other on a long stretch of grass, playing a simple game of catch. Bud was a lion, with dark brown fur and a lighter orange mane. He wore red sunglasses and a blue patterned t-shirt. He bore a confident smile on his face as he ran backwards, awaiting the ball to be thrown back to him.

Pierce was a blue and white eagle, with a blue back and wings, but a white face and body. He had bright yellow eyes and beak, and wore a bright red t-shirt. He ran backwards quickly, eyes concentrating on the incoming ball. He extended his right wing, and caught it skilfully.

"Nice try, Bud, but you'll have to do better than that to beat this eagle!" Pierce called, before throwing it high up into the air, high enough that he had to bend his head back as far as possible to see.

A group of animals and one human stood nearby, watching. These included Josh the human, who had a mixture of brown and blonde hair and wore a light blue T-shirt, Avery the dark eagle, Bella the black and white mouse and Kabuki the white cat with red streaks.

"This is amazingly boring." Kabuki commented, almost monotonously, "Why do they find throwing a ball into the air entertaining?" Kabuki was lying on his side, head resting on his left paw.

"You know what would be funny?" Bella asked, giggling slightly, "If one of them tripped over Tortimer. Look, he's standing over there glaring at us... Oh... That can't be good." Bella was lying on her front, head resting on both paws and legs waving up and down behind her.

Bud ran backwards to meet where the ball was going to land, and just as Bella had commented, tripped over the angry looking Tortimer. "Wuaaaagh!" Bud exclaimed as he landed with a thump on his back.

Tortimer turned, unimpressed and still standing, to face Bud. He pointed his cane at the lion, and snapped, "This isn't the time to be playing games! The UTSE is here!" All the animals gasped and began murmuring. "Yes, that's right! It is seven days from now! We will be facing, as usual, Celedron, Aquatos and... Endavcra!"

"What is the UTSE?" Josh asked. Josh had recently moved into the town, and as the UTSE was an annual event, hadn't been here for the previous one.

"The worst town event in history." Avery, who was stood with folded wings, muttered in response, "It's just a bunch of running. It's completely boring."

"Quite the opposite!" Tortimer exclaimed, and began to pace in front of the group, whom Bud and Pierce had now joined. He continued to say, "In fact, it is the most fun and most important event. This is the event that our town is remembered for! We won the first ever UTSE! But, we haven't won since then, but that is going to change!"

"Oh here we go..." Kabuki muttered, rolling his eyes and moving to lie on his back and stare at the sky, "Another of the old tortoise's rants..."

Tortimer either didn't hear or ignored the cat, but continued, "This year, we are going to win the trophy! And the six of you are competing!" There was silence from the crowd for a few seconds, before they all suddenly started talking at once.

"What?" Bella cried.

"You can't be serious!" Avery exclaimed in disbelief.

"Get real." Kabuki muttered.

"That sounds cool." Pierce commented.

"Awesome!" Bud shouted.

"I still don't know what the UTSE is!" Josh called out, trying to be heard.

"Shut up and let me speak!" Tortimer snapped in interruption, "The UTSE contains five events, the 100m, 200m, 300m, 500m and 1000m run! The team consists of five members, and the option of two subs. The winner of each race wins the town three points, second place earns two and third one. Fourth place, which will not happen, gets the town zero points. Anyway, we win a trophy made of pure gold if we win. I need to choose who will be a substitute now, but I will not let Pierce or Bud be it, they are the fastest."

"That's fine, Torty." Bud commented lazily, stretching, "I'm up for running, I haven't raced anyone for a while. Are your brothers still mayors?"

Tortimer's face darkened and he pulled his hat down to cast his eyes in shadow, before responding, "Yes they are. Hortimer, my older brother, is mayor of the most beautiful town, Celedron. Then there's my younger brother, Portimer, who is mayor of the seaside resort, Aquatos. Then there is my biggest rival and worst enemy, Mortimer, mayor of the richest town, Endavcra. Then there's me, second youngest, mayor of the friendliest town, Honevray."

Josh frowned and stepped forward, before saying, "I will be the sub. Not only do I suck at running, but I don't like the sound of this competition. It doesn't sound like the fun event it is meant to be, but rather, a competition between the mayors. Sorry, Mayor Tortimer, that's just my opinion."

Tortimer glared at Josh, before snapping, "Well for that comment, I'm making you the sub anyway! As a punishment! Because if someone is injured, the sub must fill in for them, no matter which race it is. You may even end up doing the 1000m run!"

"What a shame, that'll mean we lose." Josh responded sarcastically, folding his arms. Tortimer's mouth dropped open, and he bowed his head in disappointment.

"Ugh." Tortimer scowled, standing upright again, "Doesn't matter! No-one will be injured! Okay, so our team is Bella, Kabuki, Avery, Pierce and Bud. Great. Feel free to carry on with your childish ball game, at least its sport. You need to be in good shape so I, um, we can beat Endavcra!" He then walked away rather quickly for his age, leaving the five animals and human to glance at each other in worry.


	3. The Arrival of Celedron

Thanks for the review once more, phasmidfan. I'm glad you like it. :)

Chapter 2 – The Arrival of Celedron

"Give me an H!" Celeste shouted!

"H!" Mable responded, doing a random cheerleader move.

"Give me an O!"

"O!"

"Give me an N!"

"N!"

"Give me a-"

"-Decent cheer!" Tortimer interrupted, folding his arms in annoyance, "If you two are going to be Honevray's cheerleaders, then they need a cheer that doesn't want to make them cover their ears in agony!"

"Well gee, Tortimer, you don't need to be so bossy." Mable snapped back, pouting and folding her arms, "Sometimes the simplest things are the most effective!"

"Yeah! What Mable said!" Celeste exclaimed crossly in agreement, standing next to Mable in reinforcement.

Tortimer rolled his eyes, "Well that wasn't effective! It was the most boring, overused and old cheerleader chant ever used."

"Yeah, well it's not as boring, overused or old as you!" Celeste snapped back, Mable nodding furiously in agreement. Celeste and Mable were stood outside the town hall, practicing chants after Tortimer requested that they became Honevray's cheerleaders. Celeste continued to say, "And if you know so much, why don't you make it?"

"Fine! I have a better one!" Tortimer responded confidently, and began making weird movements that looked impossible for the old tortoise, "Two, four, six, eight! Who do we appreciate? TORT- Er, HONEVRAY! HONEVRAY! YAAAAAAY!"

Mable and Celeste backed away in slight fear and worry. Mable stuttered, "Y-Yeah... W-Well, we'll work on it... S-See you later." The two quickly ran away from Tortimer, who watched them go with confusion.

"Mayor Tortimer!" Tortimer turned around to see Pelly running towards him quickly, high heels clopping loudly on the stone tiles of the area around the Town Hall.

"What is it, Pelly?" Tortimer responded as Pelly stopped in front of him, "I am busy trying to find people to be in the UTSE staff."

Pelly responded, out of breath, "That's why I'm here! I've got a list of suitable candidates! Pete and Phyllis can be the commentators, Booker the referee, Tom Nook the person who gives the trophy, Celeste and Mable cheerleaders and Brewster for refreshments!"

Tortimer raised his eyebrows, "And what about the competition organiser? The person who makes sure everything is ready for each race, and that people know what part of the track they are running on?"

Pelly hugged her clipboard to her chest nervously, and asked quickly, "W-Well, I was, um, hoping that I could have that position, sir... If you don't mind..." She shook with fear as she awaited Tortimer's response.

"Perfect!" Tortimer responded, sounding happy, "You've got the job. Get to asking those people, Pelly, nice work." He then walked past her and into the town hall, leaving Pelly to stare in shock, and then faint.

Suddenly, a bus pulled into the plaza, parking right beside Pelly's unconscious body. The noise of the vehicle awoke the pelican, who quickly jumped to her feet, gasping in shock. She stepped back as the doors opened, creating a puff of smoke. The shape of a tortoise could be seen through it. Pelly gasped, "T-Tortimer?"

"Not Tortimer, dear girl!" The tortoise responded in a posh sounding voice as he stepped down from the bus. The tortoise was a dark shade of green, darker than Tortimer. He also looked older, and was dressed in a green suit, with a green cane as well. The tortoise continued, "I am Hortimer, mayor of the most beautiful town, Celedron. Please forgive the steam, but this bus runs on not fossil fuels, but water."

"Ooh!" Pelly exclaimed in fascination, "How does that work?" She put her hands together as she admired the bus in awe, dropping her clipboard.

"It doesn't." Hortimer replied dryly, "Not often anyway. Whom do I have the pleasure of meeting, by the way?"

"Eheheh..." Pelly blushed, before curtsying and replying, "Pelly the pelican, town hall clerk, working for mayor Tortimer, at your service!"

"Then it is a pleasure to meet you, Pelly." Hortimer smiled slightly, before turning back to the bus, "Alright team! We've arrived! Get out here and introduce yourself to this lovely lady!" He turned back to Pelly once more, "In case you were not aware, we are here for the UTSE, and hoping to win." He grinned.

Pelly suddenly glared furiously, "No you won't! No town will defeat the amazing Tortimer! Ever!" Hortimer quickly retreated from the fuming pelican, raising his hands in surrender, confused.

"I meant no offense, Miss Pelly!" He quickly exclaimed, "It was a joke." Pelly quickly calmed down, and blushed again.

Suddenly, an animal leapt out of the bus, landing in a crouched position skilfully. The animal was a male blue bear with a white mouth, and darker blue patch around his eye. He wore a cream coloured t-shirt with a pattern. He got back to his feet and approached Pelly, shaking her hands.

"'Sup, I'm Kody." The bear introduced himself. Pelly nodded to him. Next to leave, or skip off the bus was a blue female cat with large, smiling eyes and pink rosy cheeks. She was dressed in a long, pink dress. She ran up to Pelly and hugged her.

"Hi!" The cat exclaimed happily, "I'm Rosie, the peppiest animal in Celedron!"

Pelly smiled hesitantly, before saying, "Okay... Nice to meet you Rosie... Welcome to Honevray." She looked back to the bus as a very dark blue wolf stepped out, with a cream coloured snout and lazy looking eyes. He wore a blue and green t-shirt, and he looked very bored. He simply nodded to Pelly, before leaning against the bus, folding his arms.

"I'm Wolfgang." He said simply, before closing his eyes.

The last animal to step off was an oddly dressed elephant with a green helmet that covered his eyes, with orange tinted glass to see through. He wore complete green, with a number '3' on his top. "World domination!" He shouted before leaping out of the bus with much more drama than Kody, doing a flip in mid-air before landing on two feet, hands on hips, "Big Top at your service!" He bowed before Pelly, who merely stared at him in confusion.

"That's his catchphrase." Hortimer explained dryly, "Ignore him. He is a fast runner. And now for our last team member..." The crowd turned to the bus as a human girl stepped out. She curtsied before Pelly.

"Hey, I'm Catherine." The girl smiled, "Nice to meet you. But can I ask if this is the town where Josh lives?"

Pelly frowned, "Why yes, it is. He's in Honevray's team, but as the sub. I'm guessing you know him, then?"

Catherine nodded, grinning, "Yes. He, along with someone else, is an old best friend of mine. Cool."

Hortimer interrupted to say, "Anyway, this is Celedron's team, can we see Tortimer now?"

Pelly nodded quickly, "Of course, of course! This way!" She began to lead them towards the town hall, when suddenly, another bus pulled up.

"Ah... That would be Portimer." Hortimer explained, before turning back to the bus, "You're making Honevray look ugly, driver. Thanks for the ride, you can leave now." The bus then drove away and through the town gate.


	4. The Rivalry Begins

Phasmidfan: Thanks, glad you liked it. :)

sonicshadow96: Thanks a lot, and your comment made me laugh. Well, let's just imagine they have extraordinary long lives. I think tortoises do, anyway...

Chapter 3- The Rivalry Begins

Another tortoise stepped off the bus, this one with a lighter skin colour than Tortimer, and looked younger. He was dressed very informal, with a blue t-shirt and white shorts. He wore a dark blue cap and sunglasses.

"Ah! Hortimer!" The tortoise exclaimed cheerfully, "Great to see you again, brother. Ah, forgive me miss, I am Portimer, mayor of the seaside resort, Aquatos." He nodded to Pelly, before pulling Hortimer into a brotherly hug.

Hortimer quickly pulled away, looking annoyed, "Dressed as messy as ever, I see, Portimer. You could have made an effort to look smart for our family reunion." He folded his arms, before saying to Pelly, "Forgive my brother. It's probably because he is younger than Tortimer, Mortimer and I."

Pelly shook her head, "It's fine, seriously. You didn't need to dress up, in fact, I never knew tortoises wore clothes. Tortimer just has his shell." Portimer and Hortimer looked at her as if she was insane, mouths ajar.

"Our brother has no fashion sense." Hortimer commented dryly, before turning to Portimer, "Anyway. Let's see your team."

Portimer smirked and turned back to the bus, before whistling. Immediately, a white duck skipped off of the bus. The top of her head was brown, and she wore a pink top with the number '4' on it. She waved cheerfully to Pelly, and said, "Hi! I'm Pom Pom!"

Next to step off the bus was a turquoise squirrel, with big front teeth and yellow streaks down the back of her head and tail. She wore a white and pink top and had white freckles. She also waved to Pelly, saying, "And I'm Nibbles!"

Next to step off was a large black and blue penguin, with starry eyes and a blue top with a strange diagram on. He bowed to Pelly saying, "Yello. I'm Cube!" Pelly tilted her head, seemingly unimpressed with the team so far.

The last animal to step, well jump, off was a grey rhino with a green hat. He wore a red top with the number '1' on, and he landed skilfully on two feet, knees not even buckling at the impact. "Yo, I'm Tank, the fastest person in Aquatos!"

"Rephrase that Tank." Another voice said, and a boy stepped off, the doors of the bus closing behind him. He wore a red t-shirt, dark sunglasses and had spiked dark brown hair. He nodded to Pelly, saying, "I'm Luke. Have you seen-" He broke off, spotting Catherine. He smirked, "Well if it isn't Catherine. Great to see you again!"

"Luke!" Catherine exclaimed, running over to him and hugging him, before explaining to Pelly, "This is the other best friend I was talking about. Josh is here too, by the way, Luke. But he's a sub."

Luke smirked, "Awesome. Wait, a sub? That coward, we're taking part, he should too."

Hortimer sighed, irritated, "Sorry to interrupt, but can we see Tortimer now please?" Pelly quickly nodded and hastily headed for the town hall. Hortimer then turned to his team, "Alright. You lot stay here, we'll be back soon."

"What he said." Portimer chipped in, before the two followed Pelly into the town hall.

Tortimer looked up from his desk as the door opened, cold eyes examining his two brothers. He got to his feet and hesitantly accepted the two other tortoise's handshakes, saying monotonously, "Hortimer. Portimer."

Portimer quickly began speaking, "Let's cut to the chase. The three of us need to do whatever it takes to make sure Mortimer doesn't win again. His cockiness is getting on my nerves." Hortimer nodded in agreement as the younger tortoise continued to say, "So, we need to make sure at least one of our three towns win. You going to work together with us?"

Tortimer rolled his eyes, "I don't need your help. Honevray can beat Endavcra by itself. In fact, Honevray can do better than that; they can beat Celedron and Aquatos too! Thanks for the offer, but I work alone in the UTSE."

Hortimer rolled his eyes, "You're almost as bad as Mortimer."

"Do not compare me to my worst enemy!" Tortimer shouted, glaring at the two, "I am nothing like Mortimer. That tortoise has disgraced my town far too many times now, and this year it ends!"

"You are just like Mortimer." Hortimer continued calmly, "You are competitive, you won't accept help or defeat and you care more about winning than having fun. That is a bad path, and your team will not like it. But fine, have it your own way. Come, Portimer, let's go." He then turned away from his younger brother and walked out of the town hall.

Portimer hesitated, saying, "Well then. I guess the rivalry has begun. See ya, Tortimer." He nodded briefly, before following Hortimer out of the Town Hall.

"Yes..." Tortimer muttered to himself, "The rivalry begins..."


	5. The Threat

phasmidfan: Dun dun dun indeed. =P

Chapter 4- The Threat

"I will not accept fourth place." Tortimer announced loudly, standing in front of Honevray's team. The five animals and Josh were sat on the grass, listening to Tortimer's rant. The mayor of Honevray continued to say, "I will not accept third place, either. And no, I will not even accept second. First place is the only acceptable position! We need to win this, I will not have my town humiliated again! All of you must win, or else!"

Josh folded his arms, unimpressed, "Or else what, Tortimer? This is meant to be a fun event, where the people competing enjoy themselves, not a competition between the mayors where the people taking part are forced to do it."

Tortimer scowled, "You be quiet. As for your question, you must win or you're banished from Honevray." This threat was met by a stunned silence, and each of the six faces in front of Tortimer showed the same. Shock, anger and confusion.

"You can't be serious!" Bella cried, jumping to her feet, "You can't banish us out of town for losing! That's just not fair!"

Tortimer turned on the mouse, shouting, "I decide the rules, not you! I've told you I will not accept defeat, so you had better win!" With that, he turned and marched away angrily. Bud and Pierce exchanged annoyed glances, raising their eyebrows. Bella started crying, Avery turned away and Josh folded his arms, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not accepting this." Josh muttered, and began to walk after Tortimer.

Avery quickly called out, "Don't bother Josh. It's not worth getting kicked out of town if he's being serious." Bud and Pierce nodded in agreement.

Josh rolled his eyes again, "So you're just going to let him get away with kicking you out anyway? From what I've heard, Endavcra has an amazing team, one that is probably impossible to beat. Answer me honestly; what chance do you think you have of winning?"

Bella stopped sobbing and looked up with teary eyes, but said nothing. Avery looked at the ground, digging up dirt with his talons. Pierce and Bud shifted uncomfortably under Josh's annoyed gaze, but none of them said a word.

"I thought so." Josh sighed, before continuing, "Alright, yelling at Tortimer is probably not the best move. Well, what can we do then?"

Before anyone could answer, a male voice called, "Hey! Josh!" Josh turned around to see Luke and Catherine rushing towards him. He grinned and walked over to meet them.

"Catherine? Luke?" Josh asked in a tone of disbelief, before asking, "Are you two here for the UTSE?"

Luke nodded, "We sure are. We're here and we are ready to win. You competing?" Josh shook his head.

"No, I'm the sub." He explained, and Luke nodded slightly, before Josh continued to say, "Are your mayors pressuring you to win?"

Catherine shrugged lightly, replying with, "Not really, sure they gave us the normal 'I want to win' talk, but they also said to have fun and try our hardest. Why?"

"I wish I could say the same about Tortimer." Josh sighed, and then explained quickly how Tortimer had threatened to kick them out of town if they lost, "We need to do something about it, but talking to Tortimer won't help at all."

The three pondered for a while, before Luke suggested, "How about we speak to our coaches and train the teams before the race starts? At least then there's a better chance of winning."

"But that's against the rules. No training sessions are allowed." Catherine reminded, folding her arms, before continuing, "But even so, what the mayors don't know won't hurt them. We just need to get the coaches on our side. Celedron's coach is Topper, he's fair, we can speak to him. He doesn't arrive until this afternoon though."

Josh replied with, "Honevray's coach is Copper, he's the guard at the town gate, we could ask him." Catherine and Luke nodded in agreement, so Josh led the two of them over to the town gate, where they found Booker snoring softly and Copper standing alert.

"Good morning, Josh!" Copper exclaimed, saluting him and the other two, "How can this guard be of service?"

Josh replied with, "You can't as a guard. We need you as a coach."

"Oh, I see." Copper relaxed his position and replaced his helmet with a sporting cap, "Coach Copper here! What's up?"

Josh quickly began to explain, "Look, I know it is against the rules of the UTSE, but we really need Honevray's team to win. Tortimer has threatened to kick us out of town if we lose, and I personally don't think we have a chance."

Copper sighed, before replying, "You feel lucky I'm not in guard mode right now, or I would arrest you on the spot. But don't worry, Coach Copper will ensure that we do not lose! To the running field!" He ran out of the gate without another word.

Josh quickly turned to Luke and Catherine, "You two must make sure Tortimer doesn't catch us! I know you would want to train too, but please... It's more important for Honevray to win than Celedron and Aquatos..."

Catherine quickly nodded, saying, "Don't worry Josh. I trained back at home anyway. We'll make sure he doesn't notice, and if Luke refuses, I'll just do a replay of our Karate match back at our old home." Josh grinned at the memory, while Luke winced.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll help." Luke muttered, before saying, "But if I come last, it's on your head Josh!" Josh nodded, smirking, before running after Copper.


	6. Preparation and Training

Chapter 5- Preparation and Training

"Argh!" Tortimer exclaimed in horror as he arrived at the running field, seeing a tiny patch of overgrown grass on the race track, "That cannot happen! What if one of my team trips on it? I must cut it, before anyone sees. Erm..." He was cut off by running footsteps, and he turned to see Copper and the Honevray team. "Ah! Copper!" Tortimer exclaimed cheerfully, "Just who I needed. You can use your spear to cut- Why are you all dressed for running?"

The seven looked at eachother, before Pierce said, "Um..."

"Tortimer!" Pierce was cut off by Catherine and Luke, who quickly ran in. Catherine exclaimed, "Tortimer! There is... Er..."

Luke quickly cut in to say, "A fire!"

"Yeah! A fire! At, er..."

"The Town Hall!"

"Yeah! What are you waiting for?" Catherine rushed over to Tortimer, and pushed him out of the field, "What are you waiting for? It's your desk that's on fire. Run!"

"W-What?" Tortimer asked in confusion, "My desk is on fire? I'M COMING!" He then ran off at an extraordinary speed towards the town hall. Catherine and Luke wiped their foreheads in relief, before looking at the other seven.

"Smooth, very smooth." Kabuki commented dryly. Catherine laughed weakly, before she and Luke ran off after Tortimer.

Copper turned to the team, "Alright! We can't waste any time! Copy Tortimer and run, run, run!" He blew his whistle, and the six immediately began running.

The door of the Town Hall flung open and Tortimer rushed in, screaming, "I'M COMING DESKY!" He stopped, looking around in confusion, before seeing Pelly on the ground, "ACK! Ms. Pelly! Nooooo, she died trying to stop the fire!"

"Tortimer!" Luke shouted as he and Catherine rushed in, and continued quickly, "Erm... Er..."

"Mortimer stole your town's bus and is driving towards a cliff!" Catherine cut in.

"Yeah! That!" Luke agreed.

"And the bus has all your money in it!"

"So quickly! Go!" It was Luke's turn this time to push Tortimer out of the town hall, shutting the door behind him, before slumping to the ground tiredly. "That was close."

Catherine suddenly gasped, "Erm, Luke? To get to the town gate, he must run past the running field."

"Oh, for the love of-"

"Cheese." Catherine interrupted whatever word Luke was about to say, before pulling him to his feet, "Come on, let's go!" She opened the door and ran out, dragging Luke behind her. They rushed as fast as possible towards the running field...

But they were too late, Tortimer entered the field, and stopped to see the team running, "What is going on here?"

Copper froze, "Oh... Mayor Tortimer! What a, um, pleasant surprise!" Tortimer glared at him, grinding his teeth together in anger. Copper quickly continued, "The team is, er... Just, er..."

Luke and Catherine ran in once more, Luke shouting, "They're chasing an, um..."

"Burning rat!"

"Yes, a burning- what?" Luke turned to Catherine, face showing utter confusion.

"Yes! A burning rat! See! It's running around the playing field!" She pointed to nothing in particular, before whispering to Luke as Tortimer turned to look, "Get Josh's attention!"

Luke jumped up and down, waving his arms while pointing at Tortimer. Luckily, it seemed they noticed as they quickly stopped, before rushing over to Tortimer.

"Did you catch it?" Tortimer asked in worry. The team looked at him in confusion, before looking at Catherine and Luke for help.

"No, they didn't!" Catherine quickly answered, "It escaped right into that bush over there, didn't it guys?"

Bud looked at her blankly, before quickly saying, "Umm... Yes! It escaped! Into... That... Bush over there... Yeah..."

Tortimer nodded, grinning slightly, "Good. I appreciate your effort to keep Honevray rat free. Well done, and why it even gave you some training for the UTSE! Nice work. Anyway, I must now run after Mortimer before he drives off a cliff with my bus!"

"Before I what?" The Honevray team, Copper, Tortimer, Luke and Catherine spun around in shock to see...


	7. The Bet

[u]Chapter 6- The Bet[/u]

"Well, if it isn't little Tortimer." The newcomer sneered. The tortoise was dressed in a very expensive, black suit. He walked with a posh cane, and with a style that gave off the 'I'm better than you' vibe. He wore a monocle too, and he looked down on everyone, somehow, despite him being so short.

Tortimer's face turned cold, and he advanced on the tortoise, "Hello, Mortimer. Good to see you returned my bus."

Mortimer's face showed pure confusion, "Returned your bus?"

Luke quickly chipped in, "Sorry Tortimer! It wasn't Mortimer! It was, erm..."

Catherine interrupted and exclaimed, "Blathers!"

Luke frowned, "What would Blathers be doing with the Honevray bus?"

Catherine, "Shut up! You saw it too, right?"

Luke nodded hesitantly, "Yes... I saw it... Driving into a volcano..."

"Cliff!"

"Yes, cliff. Driving off a cliff."

Mortimer and Tortimer stared at the two blankly.

"Anyway, how is my little brother?" Mortimer asked, folding his arms and leaning on his cane. He inspected Tortimer, noting with disapproval the tortoise's lack of stylish fashion, "You're obviously a poor town, you can't even afford clothes. Even Portimer has a better sense of fashion than you."

Tortimer glared, and stood as tall as possible, which was quite difficult, as he had no toes to stand on, "I was fine, until you got here. What I wear is completely irrelevant, let's see your team." He folded his arms, a smug look on his face.

"Why, of course..." Mortimer shrugged his shoulders, before blowing a whistle. Immediately, as if out of nowhere, four animals landed in very acrobatic positions. A white chicken, a brown gorilla, a blue penguin and a squirrel whose colour could not be seen behind a helmet.

"Goose!"

"Boone!"

"Roald!"

"Agent S!"

"Endavcra's team, we are the best!"

Tortimer and the Honevray team looked at the four, unimpressed. Tortimer smirked, "What's this? Four members? Is that all your terrible town has left, or are you hoping to try and compete too, Mortimer?"

Mortimer smirked, and said calmly, "Don't worry, dear brother. I have saved the best until last, the fastest that is. May I introduce to you our human resident, Zoey." The line of animals separated to reveal a human girl around the same age as Josh, Catherine and Luke. She had fairly long, straight, brown hair and the same colour eyes. Her skin was pale, and she was dressed in a cream coloured sleeveless top.

Tortimer raised his eyebrows, before commenting dryly, "You think she can run the fastest? A puny, human girl like her?"

Zoey folder her arms, before saying with little emotion, "Puny human girl? Come on then, Tortimer, I'll give you a race around the field, and we'll see who is punier."

Mortimer smirked, before saying, "And I am not the only one with a human member of the team, it appears that you and our two brothers have selected a human too. And I must admit, Zoey here looks more capable of winning than them. But we'll find out if she is when I hold the trophy." Mortimer blew the whistle again, and marched towards the exit of the field.

"My town for your town!" Tortimer suddenly shouted, stepping after his older brother. Mortimer stopped, smirking slightly, for turning back around. He looked at Tortimer with slight disbelief as Honevray's mayor continued to say, "My town for your town. How about it?"

The two teams exchanged glances of confusion. Josh muttered under breath, "He cannot be serious, he can't be betting what I think he is..."

Mortimer returned to where the group was standing, and simply asked, as if wondering himself if Tortimer really had said it, "What?"

Tortimer rolled his eyes, snapping, "If I win, I take control of Endavcra. If you win, you take control of Honevray. Deal?" Gasps of shock came from all directions. Mortimer merely laughed.

"Mayor, you cannot be serious." Copper muttered, but Tortimer shoved him out of the way and stepped up close to Mortimer.

"Do we have a deal?"

Kabuki sighed, folding his arms, "And so the mayor's selfishness is revealed. This is one heated competition..."

Bella choked as she tried to hold back her sobbing, "W-We can't win... I don't want to be under Mortimer's ruling."

Avery commented dryly, "I'm sure he'll be a better mayor than Tortimer."

"Do we have a deal?!" Tortimer shouted suddenly, and the whole field fell into silence, as if even the breeze that had been gently waving the trees had stopped to listen.

Mortimer considered, before smirking slightly, "We have a deal."


	8. Arguments and Mysteries

Chapter 7- Arguments and Mysteries

"You cannot be serious!" Hortimer shouted as he paced the town hall. Portimer stood nearby, leaning against the wall, watching with a bored expression. Josh, Catherine, Luke and Pelly also watched from the sidelines. Tortimer was stood in the centre of the room, almost cowering at Hortimer's anger.

Josh rolled his eyes, "He is being serious, he just made a bet that will end with one of our towns being ruined." Tortimer said nothing, but merely stared ahead, no expression present on his aged face. Hortimer finally stopped, pacing, sighing.

"You know Mortimer won't abandon this bet!" Hortimer suddenly continued in anger, advancing on his younger brother, "He is too full of pride to, he knows he can win the UTSE easily!"

"Just refuse to give him the town; it's not that big a deal." Portimer chipped in, still leaning against the wall.

Hortimer turned to him, "Shut up with your foolish comments. If he does that, our family will be torn apart forever, it's already on breaking point."

Portimer rolled his eyes, "Torty and Morty aren't the only two that are too prideful, Horty. What is more important? The fate of two entire towns or our family? I say we disown Mortimer as our brother; us three are fine on our own. He's never been interested in us anyway; he was always our mother's favourite."

Tortimer still remained silent, as did the others watching on the sidelines, but Hortimer replied, "We do not need to bring up our past again, Portimer. It is getting late into the afternoon, and you need to explain things to your team, Tortimer. I'll see the two of you in the morning." With that, Hortimer, followed by Portimer, exited the town hall.

Tortimer finally moved, turning to face Josh, "Gather the rest of the team; I'll be at the running field in half an hour."

Josh nodded, glaring at the tortoise before, accompanied by Luke and Catherine, exiting the town hall. The three of them began heading back into the town before Josh stopped, spotting a human girl sat on a patch of grass nearby. He recognized her as Zoey, the girl that was on Endavcra's team.

"Would you two mind finding Avery, Bud, Kabuki, Bella and Pierce?" Josh asked, not looking at Catherine and Luke, before continuing to say, "I'll help in a minute, I just need to do something."

Luke nodded, "Sure. No problem, don't take too long, you don't want to annoy Tortimer." Josh grinned slightly, before walking towards the patch of grass.

Zoey did not move as Josh approached her, she just sat there, cross-legged, staring ahead without blinking. Josh said nothing for a while, thinking of what he could say. He stepped back in surprise as Zoey finally spoke, sharply saying, "Yes?"

"S-Sorry..." Josh quickly said, before rolling his eyes at his stuttering, "I'm Josh... From Honevray. You're Zoey, right?"

Zoey climbed to her feet, and turned to face Josh, cold eyes boring into him, making it seem like Zoey was older, when they were the same age. The girl took a while to respond, but finally responded with, "I am. Sorry, Josh, but I have to go." Before Josh could react, the mysterious girl brushed past him without another word.

Josh sighed, a slight frown on his face, before heading in the other direction after Luke and Catherine. But even as he caught up with them and helped them find Honevray's team, he couldn't stop thinking about Zoey, and why she acted so mysterious and cold.


	9. The Team Talk

Chapter 8-The Team Talk

"I don't want him to run our town!" Tears of fear streamed down Bella the mouse's face, as she hugged her legs, "He'll make it full of big buildings like in Endavcra!"

Kabuki rolled his eyes, muttering monotonously, "He can't be much worse than Tortimer, he's the one that made the bet in the first place." The Honevray team was gathered on the running field, waiting for Tortimer to arrive. Pierce was sat next to Bella, trying to comfort her. Kabuki and Avery stood some distance away, while Bud was lying down, hands behind head. Josh, meanwhile, stood furthest away from the group, arms folded and looking annoyed.

"Let's just stick with the fact they're both rubbish mayors." Avery added dryly, before continuing to say, "And I really hope Celedron or Aquatos win, so none of the towns are affected."

Pierce rose to his feet, glaring at Avery, "Don't you understand the seriousness of this? Did you forget? If we lose, we're kicked out of the town, no matter if it's Endavcra, Celedron or Aquatos that loses. It's a lose, lose, lose situation. If Endavcra wins, Honevray is messed up. If Honevray wins, Endavcra is messed up. If Celedron or Aquatos wins, our lives are messed up."

"The best bet is to win." Bud commented, not moving from his comfortable position, "Tortimer couldn't handle two towns, especially not one as successful as Endavcra. He'll give the job back to old Mortimer soon enough."

Josh suddenly spoke, turning to face them, "And if Mortimer refuses? What if he takes the opportunity to let Tortimer crash and burn? What then? If we win, it may not be only Endavcra that would be messed up, but Honevray too."

The crash of a gate interrupted the conversation. The five animals and human turned to see an angry looking Tortimer storming towards them. Josh backed away to join the group, a glare of hatred on his face, one that could match Tortimer's.

"This can't be good..." Kabuki muttered under his breath as the tortoise stopped in front of them.

"This town's fate depends on you, now." Tortimer started, voice loud and clear. He began to pace in front of the team, as he'd done before, "Because if we lose, Honevray will be ruined by Mortimer's ruling-"

"And what about Endavcra being ruined by yours?" All eyes turned to Josh, and Josh swallowed slightly as Tortimer advanced on him.

"Tell me, boy." Tortimer hissed under his breath, eyes flashing dangerously, "If my ruling is so bad, why has there been no riot? Why are you still here?" Tortimer raised his voice, so it was almost a shout, "Do any of you have a problem with the way I rule? Tell me now and I will arrange a journey out of here, free of cost." The mayor's eyes glanced over all six in front of him. None of them raised a hand. Tortimer smirked, "That's what I thought. As I was saying, we cannot lose to Endavcra, nor Celedron or Aquatos. Our town's honour is at stake at here, and as I've said before, I will not accept defeat! I also repeat again, this time not as a threat, but the truth! If we lose, I will sell your homes to make up for lost revenue, and you can no longer call this place home."

Tortimer smiled thinly, before leaving the training field, the gate clanging shut behind him. The five animals glanced at each other with raised eyebrows, a mixture of fear, confusion and anger in each eye. Josh, however, stepped forward as if to go after the mayor, but instead turned and marched off the other way.


	10. Persuasion Attempt

Chapter 9- Persuasion Attempt

The sun began to set, shrouding the town of Honevray with shadows. One by one, the numerous residents began to return to their homes to have dinner or get an early night. The UTSE was tomorrow, and most of the residents would want to get up early for it. But there was one animal that had no intention of retiring just yet, not to bed or his career as mayor.

Mortimer stopped as he turned a corner, finding himself face to face with Hortimer. He rolled his eyes, turning around to walk the other way, only to find Portimer behind him. The old tortoise sighed in annoyance, before asking irritably, "What do you two want?"

Portimer replied first, saying calmly, "To put it simply, you need to call off the bet." Portimer leaned against the wall of a house, but as the three were in a narrow gap between two houses, Mortimer was still unable to escape.

Mortimer made a 'tch' noise, but said, "Yeah right. Nice try, little brother, but, to put it just as simply. Not going to happen." He made a move to try and get past Portimer, but Portimer exited his leaning position and stood in the way.

Hortimer stepped forward now, making the gap between the three tortoises smaller. The older tortoise continued, "Do not be selfish, [i]little[/i] brother. The fate of one of Honevray and Endavcra has now been put at risk because of this. One of the two towns is going to be ruined, unless Aquatos or Celedron wins."

Portimer chipped in, "What he said!"

Mortimer smirked slightly, folding his arms, "Correction. If Honevray wins, one of the cities will be ruined. But that is not going to happen, and if Endavcra does win, then Honevray will become a decent town for once. Now, please stand aside." He tried to move past again, this time past Hortimer. But again, he was not allowed past, so continued, "You two are beginning to annoy me now, just get out of the way. I assure you, Honevray will be much better under my control instead of Tortimer. If the three of us make sure Tortimer does not win, then there will be no problem." He tried one last time to step past Portimer, and this time, the younger tortoise stood aside and Mortimer was allowed to leave.

Portimer turned to Hortimer, who was watching Mortimer disappear into the distance, "Why do I have the feeling that disaster is going to come from this?"

Hortimer replied dryly, not looking at Portimer, "You share the same feeling as myself. No good whatsoever can come from the bet. I'd hate to see this lovely town turned into a money-making city like Endavcra. I'd also hate to see Endavcra ruined under Tortimer, he will not be able to cope with the pressure of running it as well as Honevray. But I have to agree with Mortimer, Endavcra is in more danger if Tortimer wins than Honevray with Mortimer winning..."

Portimer nodded in agreement, before asking, "So what are we going to do now?" He went back to leaning against the house, putting on a pair of sunglasses, despite the fact the sun was covered by clouds.

Hortimer sighed, shoulders slumping as he smoothed out his suit, "We do nothing. It is time to see what fate has planned for these two towns. But the one thing we have to try and do is win, one of us two. We cannot let Tortimer or Mortimer win, under no circumstances. Agreed?" Hortimer extended his right hand for the younger tortoise to take.

Portimer glanced at the hand uncertainly, saying, "I don't think my team this year has what it takes. But yeah, if it's to try and stop one of our brothers winning, then agreed." Portimer then shook Hortimer's hand, smiling weakly.

Hortimer smiled back, saying, "Well. The UTSE is tomorrow, we should get some sleep, little brother." Hortimer nodded to Portimer, before walking away. Portimer sighed, before turning and walking the other way, both wondering what would become of Honevray and Endavcra if Tortimer or Mortimer won.


	11. Who is She?

Chapter 10- Who is She?

The moon began to rise into the sky as the Honevray town tune played for eight in the evening. Thick clouds drifted past, momentarily covering the moon's pale glow, shrouding the town in darkness. Lamp posts were pretty much nonexistent in Honevray and most areas nearby. 'The Wild World', as the island the four towns were on is known as, is cut off from the rest of the world and cares less about electricity than everywhere else.

A drop of rain fell from the sky, landing directly on Josh's head as he headed towards the beach. The moon came into view again, and Josh suddenly noticed the figure of a girl sitting by the sea. Josh frowned, he was sure the beach was empty a moment ago. As the young boy got closer to the sand, he recognized the girl. It was that mysterious girl from Endavcra, Zoey.

"Hello Joshua." Zoey suddenly spoke, startling Josh. He frowned at the use of his full first name; no-one else he had ever met called him that. But it was strange, for some reason it didn't sound right for this girl to call him 'Josh.'

Josh snapped out of his thoughts and shakily replied, "H-Hey... How did you know it was me?" Josh got closer, now standing on the smooth sand of the beach. Zoey did not answer for a while, and the only sound now present was the soothing sound of the waves brushing against the sand, and then slowly drifting backwards.

Zoey finally responded, once again startling Josh, "I will just say that it was a lucky guess." Zoey still did not turn her head; her eyes were focused on the blue sea. But after a few minutes, she finally looked around at Josh, saying quietly, "You can sit down, you know."

Josh nodded slightly, smiling weakly, before sitting down beside the girl, "Thank you..." He lapsed into silence once more, unsure of what to say. He wanted to get to know Zoey, but he didn't know why. She just seemed very mysterious, and he had no idea what she was like.

"You are uncomfortable." Zoey suddenly noted, making Josh frown. Before he could reply, Zoey continued to say, "You want to know me better, but you do not know what to say."

Josh opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again, still frowning. Finally, he managed to say, "How do you know that?" Josh couldn't work out how someone who barely knew him could tell how he felt, it was odd.

The strange girl shrugged, before replying, "I can sense these things, there was an awkward silence full of uncertainty. Just ask me what you want to know, I am sure I can answer everything. I leave in two days; there may not be another chance."

Josh nodded briefly, returning his blue eyes to gaze at the dark water. But after only a few seconds, they were back on Zoey. Her face was pale, eerily illuminated by the moon. But Josh himself was shrouded in darkness, a strange contrast. He couldn't work it out; she seemed both young and old at the same time. He could not even guess how old she was.

"How old are you?" Josh suddenly found himself asking quickly, before even thinking about it. Zoey smiled softly, laughing lightly. She gazed up at the moon, brown hair now brushing against her shoulders. Josh blushed slightly, looking at the sand beneath him.

After another couple of minutes of silence, Zoey finally decided to reply, "I am practically fifteen. Same age as you, correct? And before you ask, my birthday is the third of September." Josh nodded. His own birthday was the thirty-first of August, meaning Zoey was only three days younger than him. He frowned. It was the second of September now.

"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Josh questioned, sounding surprised, "Wow, that's not cool, taking part in this stupid competition on your birthday... Unlucky." Zoey tore her face from the moon and gazed at Josh, for the first time making eye contact. Josh shuddered slightly under her piercing glaze, tempted to back away slightly.

But then Zoey smiled, and said, "I do not mind. I enjoy running, there is not much else I would rather do tomorrow. Though this competition is slightly more tense than usual, I am looking forward to taking part. Are you not?"

It was now that Josh first noticed that Zoey was suddenly speaking without using shortened words. She wasn't saying words such as 'aren't', 'didn't' or anything that had an apostrophe. He sighed, before replying, "I'm not taking part, I wanted to be the sub. I was fed up with Tortimer, so I wanted nothing to do with it. No I am not looking forward to it, I have a feeling one of our two towns is going to win, and that will be disastrous."

Zoey frowned, and instead of leaving a few minutes delay, immediately replied, "I do understand your reasoning, but I would have taken part in your position." Josh frowned as well, and Zoey continued to say, "Because I would be happier knowing I helped prevent the disaster than sitting back and letting it happen."

Josh broke the eye contact with Zoey and looked down at the ground, confused by her words. He had not looked at it that way, and felt slightly ashamed. But before he could respond, Zoey continued to say, "If Endavcra wins, Mortimer takes control of Honevray. You have no control over it, when you were given the chance to save your town. It is too late to change it now, Joshua. And the other thing that is late is the time. I must go. I, unlike you, am racing to help my town tomorrow. Goodnight, Joshua."

Leaving Josh to ponder her words, Zoey stood up and walked away. Josh was confused. He couldn't even tell if Zoey liked him, from that conversation, it seemed she had a fairly poor opinion of him. He sighed, before standing up and walking away, the moon disappearing behind the thick clouds once more.

A storm was coming...


	12. Selecting the Teams

Chapter 11- Selecting the Teams

The storm had arrived.

Overnight, rain had continuously pelted the grass, dirt and sand that made up Honevray. The grass of the running field was soaked, slippery and dangerous. But now, as the sun rose into the sky, the rain had subsided to nothing but a slight drizzle. A huge crowd of animals were gathered outside the town hall, shouting loudly. The main focus of the commotion: Would the UTSE be on?

"It has to go on, it's a tradition!" A male brown alligator shouted from near the front.

"No! It's too dangerous! What if someone falls and breaks a bone?" A female blue and white cat retorted.

"Can't we postpone it?" a grey and white male wolf questioned.

"The other two towns leave tomorrow!" A male yellow chicken reminded the crowd.

Hortimer, Portimer and Pelly stood at the front of the anxious crowd, wondering what they should say. Pelly tried shouting over the loud audience, but was unable to be heard. She instead said to the two mayors, "Any ideas?"

"We can't break the yearly tradition!" Portimer replied, looking annoyed, "That just... Doesn't happen! Besides! The first UTSE was run in the middle of a hurricane! Sure, an animal or two broke their necks and died, but still! Cancelling is not acceptable!"

Hortimer sighed, scratching his neck, "My family has always been one for keeping tradition, but times have changed... Maybe we should postpone."

The entire crowd suddenly fell silent as a powerful voice shouted, "Hold it!" Everyone turned to see Mortimer walking towards them. No-one said a word as the rich tortoise continued, "The UTSE will not be cancelled, not while I stand here with a winning team. Forget the rain, it is the tenth UTSE! The danger will add a new dimension of challenge to the competition. It either goes on as planned or does not happen at all. I, for one, vote for it to continue. Does anyone here disagree?" No hands or voices were raised from the crowd, so Mortimer continued, "Good. The UTSE is on!"

The crowd slowly grew smaller as one by one, the animals made their way towards the running field. However, nearby, Tortimer was giving the Honevray team their final instructions.

"Alright!" The old, annoying and cranky tortoise snapped to the six team members, who were stood in a line as Tortimer paced in front of them, "Time to tell you who is doing what race. Bud, you are doing the longest, the one thousand metre. Pierce, you are doing the 500m." Bella sighed with relief, Kabuki folded his arms, smirking while Avery and Josh rolled their eyes.

Bud, however, stepped forward, saying, "Tortimer, that isn't the best idea."

Tortimer raised an eyebrow, responding coldly, "Care to enlighten me why it isn't? You and Pierce are the fastest runners, so what is the logic in putting Bella, Avery or Kabuki in the longest races?"

Pierce stepped in, adding in a more calm tone than Bud, "But the longest races are worth the same amount of points as the shortest! Three points for a win, two for second and one for third! Plus zero for fourth..."

"Exactly!" Bud continued, folding his arms crossly, "So if we win the first three races, we have won for certain. The length of the race does not matter!"

Tortimer suddenly snapped, "Shut up! I am the mayor, I decide the teams!"

Before Bud could shout back, Pierce protested, "But the other three cities will most likely save their fastest runners for the last race too! That means Bud and I will have less chance of winning, because we would face harder opponents."

Tortimer advanced on Pierce, somehow looking down on the eagle that was twice as tall as him, "Listen. You are doing the five hundred metre or not racing, Josh here can take your place if that's the case. Gonna argue some more?"

Pierce clenched his beak shut to stop himself arguing, nodding sharply. Tortimer smiled mysteriously, before continuing, "Good. Now, Bella you are doing the one hundred metre race, Avery two hundred and Kabuki three hundred. Got it? Good." He walked off without giving them a chance to protest.

Josh sighed, "Well, good luck."

Kabuki replied dryly, "We'll need it."

Avery simply said, "Indeed."


	13. Let the Races Begin!

Chapter 12- Let the Races Begin!

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2009 UTSE!" The kind voice of Pelly the town clerk echoed around the running field. There was a long circular track with four lanes around the entire field. Crowds of animals were stood around the track. On the inside, the town workers were stood, where refreshments for the runners were set up, as well as the commentator stand and the table with the trophy, guarded by Copper and Booker.

Also, the four teams were stood in groups, the mayor at the front of each, giving their team final advice and encouragement. Well, all except for Tortimer who was just staring at the sky in anger. At the commentator's table, Phyllis and Pete the mailman were sat by Pelly. Pelly looked extremely enthusiastic, Phyllis bored and annoyed while Pete looked slightly nervous, perhaps because he was sat beside two pelicans who were obsessed with him.

"With me today is Phyllis and the totally awesome Pete!" Pelly continued, and Pete slowly slid back in his chair, blushing slightly. Phyllis merely glared at anyone who glanced at her. "Now, we've been waiting for this day for ages. It is the tenth year anniversary of the UTSE, so let's get straight down to business. First up is the one hundred metre race! A separate track has been set up for this race, and it is a straight line. Okay, can the animal from each town selected for this event go to the starting line please?"

Josh approached Bella, who was shaking slightly from nerves, "Hey, don't worry. Forget what Tortimer said, just have fun!" Bella nodded slightly in response, smiling weakly. Pierce, Bud, Kabuki and Avery added similar words of encouragement, something Tortimer had never been able to do. Once finished, Bella took a deep breath and approached the starting line.

"Alright!" Pelly announced, and the crowd began to cheer as the animals were announced, "From the home town, Honevray, we have Bella the mouse! From Celedron, we have Big Top the elephant! Racing for Aquatos, we have Cube the penguin! And finally, from Endavcra, Agent S the squirrel! Ladies and gentlemen, our animals competing in the one hundred metre race!"

Josh quickly examined the four animals, and muttered to Avery and Pierce, who were stood beside him, "I think Bella has a good chance. She'll have to watch out for Agent S though, I think. Cube and Big Top don't look like much of a problem."

Before they could reply, Pelly shouted, "Alright! When the gun sounds, the race begins!" Silence followed, and soon there was a loud fire of a gun. The crowd immediately burst into screams of encouragement as the four animals began running.

"And the race has begun! Bella from Honevray takes to an early lead, with Big Top of Celedron in second, Cube from Aquatos third and Agent S from Endavcra fourth! Agent S overtakes Cube, and the penguin quickly falls behind! Agent S overtakes Big Top! Agent S overtakes Bella! Agent S is in first place, and is quickly taking the lead! Wait, what's this? Agent S slips on the wet grass, but quickly regains her footing and continues! However, in this time, Big Top has taken the lead and Bella is in second! Cube is far behind though... The competition between Big Top and Bella is tense! They're almost at the finishing line! BIG TOP WINS! Congratulations Big Top and to Celedron, who have won three points! Bella is in second, gaining two for Honevray and Agent S third, winning one for Endavcra! But unlucky, Cube, better luck next time!"

The crowd was cheering loudly as the four animals regained their breath at the finishing line. Hortimer and Portimer quickly approached the four, congratulating them. Mortimer looked slightly annoyed, staying with his team, but Tortimer was furious.

As Bella approached the rest of the team, smiling, the other five rushed over to congratulate her.

"Well done, Bella! You did great!" Josh exclaimed, hugging her.

"Nice one, Bella!" Pierce added, patting her shoulder with his wing.

"That was awesome." Bud nodded.

"Yeah, well-" Avery started, before Bella's face fell. The other five turned to see Tortimer approaching, looking furious. His fists were raised, so Pierce and Bud stood in front of Bella, preventing the old tortoise from attempting to harm her.

The Honevray mayor stopped in front of the group, before immediately shouting, "You think that is acceptable for this town? The one hundred metre was an easy race! It was one you should have won! How on earth you lost to that elephant and almost to that squirrel is beyond me... Prepare to back your bags, mouse." With that, he turned and stomped off, leaving Bella in tears and the other five angry enough to murder...


	14. Avery's Attempt

Chapter 13- Avery's Attempt

"This is ridiculous!" Kabuki hissed, watching as the tortoise left, before spinning around to face Josh, Avery, Bud and Pierce, "I'm going to talk to the other teams! Surely, if they realize what would happen if we lose, we can get them to take a die?" The red striped surrounding his eyes creased as he glared. The white cat's paws also clenched, and his lips became a thin line.

Avery frowned at the idea, before shaking his head, "No. If they make themselves lose, we'd win, and Endavcra would be doomed. Unless we can persuade Endavcra to take a die, and we do too, we have no chance." He stepped slightly forward, examining the Endavcra team opposite. The four humans and animal were stood in a straight, horizontal line, Mortimer pacing in front. Zoey's eyes, however, were directed towards the Honevray team.

Bud kicked a nearby rock, watching as it flew a few feet, before landing on the damp grass with a muffled thump. An angry grasshopper swiftly leapt from the object, but the lion ignored it. He shook his head, "No! We cannot do that either without being kicked out of town!" He turned to the eagle, who watched warily, before shouting, "Why do we keep having the same conversation? We're trapped! Either Honevray is ruined, Endavcra is ruined, or we are ruined!"

As the lion broke off, Josh spoke quietly, "Then we go for the third option." The boy was sat down besides the weeping Bella, facing away from the running track and his friends. He comfortingly pat the mouse's back, trying to calm her tears. It didn't really seem to help, but he was at loss for what to do in this situation.

The other four animals turned to look at him, looking surprised at his suggestion. Kabuki's eyes narrowed, but he kept his lips tightly shut. Avery tilted his head slightly, frowning at the human, confusion in his eyes. Bud's eyes widened in contrast to Kabuki, and he opened his mouth, before shutting it again. It was Pierce that spoke. The eagle watched Josh calmly, smiling slightly and in understanding, "I know why you say that, Josh. You think it is the right thing to do, to save our towns..." He broke off, looking at Josh for a reaction, but the boy didn't move at all, so Pierce continued, "But none of us want to do that, and neither do you. We will lose our lives, we will be kicked out. We will have nowhere else to go. We will be homeless."

"Well, what choice do we have?" Josh suddenly shouted, startling Bella as he leapt to his feet. Pierce took a step back in shock, staring at the furious looking Josh, who continued in a calmer tone, "What choice do we have? Would you rather we become like Endavcra? Ruin Honevray? Would you rather Endavcra crumble under Tortimer's leadership? Would you rather hundreds of animals having their lives ruined? We are six people, Pierce. That is nothing compared to the amount that will be ruined if we don't take a die."

"Hello everyone!" Before anyone could reply, the voice of Pete the pelican rang throughout the air, and everyone's attention went to the commentator table, "This is Pete. It's now time for the two hundred metre race! Now... According to this list, Avery from Honevray will be competing. As will Kody from Celedron, Pom Pom from Aquatos and Goose from Endavcra. If these four animals could come to the starting line, please."

Avery looked shocked at the announcement, before spinning furiously to the others, "How can I compete with that? Kody? He's a jock. Goose? He's a jock. Pom Pom? Some hyperactive duck. I can't win this." As he spoke, the other three announced animals jogged towards the starting line. Avery folded his wings stubbornly, hissing, "I will not compete. I refuse."

Bud rolled his eyes, advancing quickly on the eagle, "Why not?" Avery opened his mouth to reply, but the lion swiftly cut in, "So Tortimer doesn't yell at you for losing?" For the second time, Avery started to reply, but Bud interrupted again, "Well what will he do if you refuse? I don't want to think about it. Stuff that stupid turtle, just go and run your feathers off, we'll deal with our idiotic mayor when it comes to it."

Avery opened his mouth a third time, but Bud shoved him towards the line forcefully. The eagle stared at Bud with slight shock, before nodding slowly, joining the other three racers at the starting line. Bud watched him go, before saying with slight emotion, "He's doomed, and so are we." He swallowed, before shaking his head, returning his attention to the race.

Pete's voice rang out again, "Now, listen for the gun! On your marks..." The four animals crouched down, ready to spring into a run, "Get set..." The gunshot fired, and the four animals darted forward, "Avery takes a quick lead, with Goose in second, Pom Pom in third and Kody in fourth! Kody is falling behind, that's a surprise! Oh! But a glare from Mortimer makes him get his act together! He's off! Kody overtakes Pom Pom! Goose is level with Avery, and the animals are now about half way! What's this? Pom Pom has stopped! She's burst into tears! Portimer has rushed on to comfort her, and led her off. Meanwhile, Goose has taken first place, and Kody is swiftly catching up with Avery. Three quarters through now, and the three are very close. Avery takes first place! Kody takes second! Kody's catching up! Just feet away! They're level! Avery- No, Kody- No! Goose right behind! Avery's tiring! KODY WINS!"

Cheers erupt from the crowd as the three remaining runners catch their breath. Pete then announced, "Kody in first, Goose in second, Avery in third and Pom Pom in fourth! That's three points for Celedron, two for Endavcra and one for Honevray! Celedron holds its lead with six points. In second is a draw between Endavcra and Honevray, each with three points. And in fourth place, Aquatos has fallen far behind with zero. Congratulations Celedron!"

Josh's first instinct was to look for Tortimer, who he quickly spotted marching towards Avery, looking as angry as always. Avery noticed and backed away. Josh quickly said to the others, "Avery is in trouble, come on." Josh quickly dashed towards Avery, Bud, Pierce and Kabuki behind him. The three joined Avery, all facing Tortimer as he arrived.

"I..." Tortimer shook his head, glaring, before continuing, "I don't know what to say! What the heck happened? You were going to win, yet you just gave up. Did you deliberately lose?" Before Avery could reply, Tortimer shouted at the top of this voice, "YOU IDIOT! YOU WILL RUIN THIS TOWN! You are a disgrace, and whether we still win or not, I do not want you in my town when it is over." His voice dripped with venom, as Avery's eyes widened. Tortimer smiled sarcastically at Kabuki, who was shaking in anger, "Good luck, Kabuki."


	15. And Disaster Strikes

Chapter 14- And Disaster Strikes

"Hello." Josh turned around at the sound of a familiar voice, seeing Zoey standing right behind him. He blinked a couple of times in shock of seeing her, before stuttering, "H-Hey." He stepped back slightly, unsure of what else to say as he stared into the girl's empty, emotionless, cold eyes.

They both fell into silence, and Zoey folded her arms expectantly, as if expecting Josh to spoke first. The boy mumbled, "Um..." before finally saying, "How are you?" Zoey rolled her eyes, before relaxing her arms once more, glaring at Josh, who quickly said, "W-What?"

"I am fine." Zoey replied irritably, her arms folding across her slender stomach once more. This was confusing Josh, what did she want? Finally, Zoey sighed, saying, "Apparently I have to just tell you. You will be racing in the last race."

"I... what?" Josh asked in confusion, frowning, scratching his left hand nervously, "N-No. Bud is doing that race... I'm the sub."

"Exactly." Zoey replied with a slight shrug, glancing past Josh to watch Bud, who was jogging in practice, "You are the sub, and you will have to replace Bud in the final race." Josh looked behind him to watch the lion, who had no idea he was currently the focus of attention.

Josh looked back to Zoey, an unsure expression present upon his features, and as he thought of what to say, he absent-mindedly began to split blades of grass in half, the small activity enough to amuse him. He finally managed to ask, "And why do you say that?"

Zoey smiled mysteriously, showing her white, perfect teeth. Josh glanced at the pretty smile, his heart rising to his mouth, before quickly returning his glance to Bud. Zoey took the chance then to answer, "Let's see... Five... Four..."

Josh glanced back to Zoey, frowning.

"Three."

"Two."

"One."

"ARGH!" Josh quickly turned back to look at Bud, who had just slipped over, and was now sitting down, both paws grasping his ankle, teeth gritted. Pierce and Bella quickly jogged over to him, crouching down beside him. They were soon joined by Pelly and Pete.

"Bud, are you all right?" Pierce asked in worry, placing his wing on the lion's shoulder. Bud glared at him, giving him an expression that made it clear his question was stupid. Pierce smiled grimly, before retreating backwards.

Josh glanced away to look at Zoey, before frowning to see she'd vanished. He sighed, before approaching Bud, worried not only about his friend, but whether he would be able to run in the final race.

"Let me take a look..." Pete muttered, crouching down, removing the shoe from Bud's left foot, to reveal instead of the normal yellow fur, a dark bruise could be faintly seen. Pete frowned slightly, before sighing, "You can't run with this. You'll need to use crutches."

"WHAT?" The group turned to see Tortimer rushing over, looking furious, "Bud, YOU IDIOT! Now you've messed everything up!"

"SHUT THE HECK UP!" Pierce suddenly shouted in fury, startling everyone. It wasn't that often that Pierce lost his temper, and this sudden change of personality even caused Tortimer to step back. The eagle advanced on the tortoise, "You do realise, Tortimer, that we can choose NOT to listen to you? You can't kick any of us out, we can kick you out. So just... Get over yourself."

Tortimer opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again. He nodded slightly, before looking to Kabuki, "Prepare for your race." He turned to leave, before looking to Josh without emotion, "And looks like you're replacing Bud in the 1000 metre."

Josh's heart sank, and he glanced to the rest of his team. Kabuki and Avery were stood a little bit away, both looking at him with slight worry. Bud, who was still in pain, looked guilty as Pete and Pelly treated his ankle. Pierce didn't make eye contact, but smiled slightly, before diverting his gaze. Bella approached him, hugging him. Josh hugged her back, giving her a warm smile.

A few minutes passed, before Phyllis' voice was heard, "Hi people. Time for the 300 metre. Kabuki from Honevray. Wolfgang from Celedron. Nibbles from Aquatos. Roald from Endavcra. Get over here. Now."

Pelly shot a painful glance to her sister, muttering, "She could at least show enthusiasm..."

"Okay... Let's get this over with." Phyllis continued to say in boredom, "Kabuki, Wolfgang, Nibbles and Roald are at starting line. And there they go. Wolfgang takes the lead, with Kabuki in second, Roald in third and Nibbles in fourth. Kabuki takes the lead. Wolfgang overtakes. Nibbles falls behind. Kabuki in the lead again. Roald overtakes Wolfgang. Nearing the end..." She sighs deeply, before continuing almost monotonously, "Roald overtakes Kabuki. Roald wins. Woo."

The majority of the audience begin to boo, while those from Celedron cheer loudly. Pelly quickly rushes over to the microphone stand, shoving Phyllis out of the way, "And Roald from Endavcra wins! Kabuki from Honevray in second, Wolfgang from Celedron third and Nibbles from Aquatos last! Endavcra wins 3 points, Honevray 2 and Celedron 1! That means... In first place, with 7 points, is Celedron. In second, with 6 points, is Endavcra. In third, with 5 points, is Honevray. Finally, in last place, with 0 points, is Aquatos. So there we have it! Next up is the 500 metres!"

Kabuki was welcomed back by Bella, Pierce and Avery, who all muttered words of encouragement. Josh, however, was stood away from the group, watching Tortimer, who for once, wasn't heading towards the team. His eyes then moved to the left to the Endavcra team. The animals were all congratulating Roald, while Zoey stood away, watching. She then turned to make eye contact with Josh, smiling slightly.

Josh quickly looked away, only to literally fall backwards in surprise. Portimer glanced at him oddly, before walking past, towards the Honevray team, who all stopped to glance at him.

"How are you all?" Portimer asked, cheerfully, smiling at them. His smile faded when none were returned, "Look, I'm not like my brothers. I don't care that my team is last, I want my team to have fun. I also want you to have fun. You're not being treated fairly by Tortimer, so I just want to say, stuff that old moron and have fun. He can't kick you out for losing, so just try your best and enjoy it. Right?"

The team nodded, unsure of what to say, until Kabuki said quietly, "Thanks."

Portimer sighed, "Great. No problem. Cheer up. Good luck, and may the best team win." He nodded briefly, before walking away, leaving the Honevray team in confusion. From the other side of the field, Tortimer watched them with a glare, before turning and walking away.

Josh sighed, sitting down on the still-damp grass, when two shadows appeared beside him. He glanced up to see Luke and Catherine, before climbing back to his feet. He hugged Catherine, and nodded to Luke, who nodded back.

"So... Looks like you're taking part after all?" Catherine asked, smiling slightly. The three began to walk around the field, away from the crowd. It was strangely quiet, especially after the constant voices and cheering from the competition. It was progressing to late afternoon, but the sun was covered by thick clouds, which were constantly threatening to release their weight upon Honevray.

"Yeah." Josh replied, sighing slightly, and shivering slightly. He wasn't cold, summer had only just ended, and it was the third of September. That date suddenly made him realise something, "Hm. It's Zoey's birthday today. Should have got a present."

"That girl is weird." Luke commented, glancing back towards the crowd, where a distinct feminine figure was stood slightly away, looking towards them, "Oh crud, she's looking at u- AHHH!" He suddenly slipped, falling over backwards and landing on his back.

"Smooth." Catherine said dryly, before extending her hand for Luke to take, and helped him to his feet. "What did you trip over?"

"Some... wrapper." Luke muttered, crouching down and pulling up a food wrapper. He read the name out loud, "Endavcra Energy Bar. Guaranteed to improve your performance in all physical activities." His shoulders slumped, "Oh man... How come Endavcra got to eat food and we didn't?" He frowned to see Josh and Catherine staring at him as if he was an alien, "What?"

"What do you mean what?" Josh exclaimed incredulously.

"What do you mean what do I mean what?"

"What do you mean what do I mean what do you mean what?"

"What do you-"

"Enough!" Catherine snapped, interrupting the two best friends, before grabbing the wrapper from Luke, "Don't you understand what this means?" She examined the label quickly, reading the ingredients, "Holy cow! Speaking of cow... Cow is an ingredient? Is Endavcra killing their residents to get food or something?" She trailed off, looking deep in thought.

"Uh..." Josh stared at Catherine oddly, but that didn't break her thought. He rolled his eyes, clicking his fingers right in front of her face, "Thoughts, please?"

Catherine shook her head quickly, "Huh? Oh! Thoughts! Right!" She lapsed into silence again.

Josh and Luke waited a few seconds, before both shouting, moving their arms in emphasis, "What?!"

"Gah! Sorry! Endavcra is cheating!"

"Well..." Josh said in response, smiling sarcastically, "We kind of figured that out."

"WOAH! ARE YOU SERIOUS?" Luke shouted, his mouth dropping open. Josh turned to stare at him, making a 'WHAT?' expression. Luke ignored it, and quickly continued to say, "We need to do something!"

"I know!"

They both fell into silence, thinking. Josh facepalmed, "Perhaps... You could tell me what? Just maybe?"

"Let's go tell Hortimer!" Catherine suggested, shrugging slightly, "He's the most level-headed of the mayors, and the smartest, and the kindest." The other two nodded in agreement, before the three began to run back to the competition, before all tripping and falling face-first on the ground. A rather evil chuckle was heard from behind them.

"Now, now, no need to do that is there?"

Mortimer withdrew his cane from underneath the three children, leaning on it as he smiled at them.


End file.
